Gardening Articles: Edibles :: Vegetables

Cherry Tomato Champs (page 3 of 3)

by Charlie Nardozzi

Gold Options

Although we tested only the most popular red cherry tomato varieties, our story wouldn't be complete without mentioning the gold varieties gaining in popularity.

If you really want the sweetest cherry tomatoes, you might want to go for the gold. "I think gold and yellow cherry tomatoes are generally sweeter than their red counterparts and add another color to salads and cooking," notes Linda Sapp, owner of Tomato Growers Supply Company in Fort Myers, Florida.

In the indeterminate plant size class, 'Sweet Gold hybrid' produces fruits of 'Super Sweet 100' size and taste but has a deep gold coloring. 'Sun Gold hybrid' is another popular indeterminate gold cherry, but its flavor is more reminiscent of a pineapple than of a tomato. "It's definitely a different eating experience from the average tomato," says Sapp. (There's now a red version called 'Sungold Red' available.)

For an earlier harvest of gold and yellow cherries, try growing determinate varieties get only two to three feet tall, such as the 'Chello hybrid' or open-pollinated 'Gold Nugget'.